There have been a few across the course of my career and even some I remember from childhood. Over the weekend I was talking to my Mum on the phone, she’ll be 82 this year and she was remembering her own epiphany moment.
We guess my Mum is/was dyslexic, she couldn’t read until she was around 10 years old. She clearly remembers her teacher, Mrs. Ford, sitting her at the back of the class to knit dishcloths. When my Nan went to ask why her daughter was the only one in the class who couldn’t read yet…..even though both her younger siblings could. Mrs. Ford replied “yes but she knits beautifully!” I know said my Nan, “I taught her to knit – it’s your job to teach her to read!”
Eventually, one day when she was around 10 years old, all of a sudden, Mum says everything clicked and she was able to read. As we were talking at the weekend she linked it back to a time maybe a year or so before, when there was a big race in Appledore. All the kids were lined up both older and younger than her, and she won, not just by a bit, she was miles ahead of everyone else she clearly remembers that being the first time she thought to herself “Well I’m not stupid after all – I’m good at something, running.”
Her prize was sixpence, so she gave up her amateur status in her first race. Weirdly current with Oliver Tarvet winning yesterday.
I’ve been reflecting since the weekend how amazing and formative these moments are – my Mum is 82 in a few months, imagine holding a feeling so clearly for over 70 years.
I have always tried to tell my kids as they’ve grown up, to recognise and hold onto those moments, remember what you saw, heard, felt, because they reveal something to you, they’re like guiding stars and can stay with you for a lifetime.
So when did you have an epiphany…..what did it tell you?
I don’t have a picture of my Mum as a kid handy so here’s one of me aged around 2.5 years….
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